


White Smoke, Dark Mirrors

by konoyo



Category: Monster of the Week (Tabletop RPG), Seven Miles (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Gen, wow this one sucks ya'll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 05:21:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18046265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/konoyo/pseuds/konoyo
Summary: “I know who you are,” the mirror whispers. “You’re the one who hasn’t done anything worthwhile. The one who didn’t have the stomach to finish what you started. You’re the one who left, who spurned the gifts you were given. All because you were too scared to be alone. You poor thing, you won’t have to suffer for much longer. I will destroy you.”





	White Smoke, Dark Mirrors

There's no moon out in the sky as Gin steps out onto the soft sand, their hand in Kai's. They'll have to rely on him to walk because though the stars wheel above them in a cloudless splendor, the island is pitched in darkness. All Gin can see is the outline of the two story building, a void where there should be stars, all of the windows dark. The house that they've finally found, after searching for so long. A house they'll see drown, even if they can barely make it out right now. But it's enough for their brother to see by. Good. They don't want to attract any attention.

Now that they're off the water, Gin can feel Kai's hand distorting, his silhouette lengthening and branching against the night sky, the customary creaking and groaning of trees that heralds the emergence of the Wendigo carried away on the wind that whips at their clothing. They squeeze his hand harder and feel themselves being lifted now, perched on his shoulders, where they belong. Moving like this, quiet and concealed in darkness, they cross the distance of shrubbery without so much as a creak or snap. Everyone must be asleep anyway. That was their loss and Gin's gain.

Rosa had said to retrieve the knife and kill everyone in the house if it was safe to do so. Oh, Gin was warned that there was magic in the house, but they'll see what good this magic does when the whole house is drowning. You can't cast spells when you're gasping for breath, your lungs heavy with salt water, they've seen it. The small water dish and pocket knife they've brought expressly for the purpose of this ritual is safely in their backpack. But that's for later. They need to find the knife first.

The door is unlocked when Kai tries it, ducking through awkwardly, barely fitting through the opening. Inside, it's darker still, but Gin quietly slips off Kai's shoulders, turning on a flashlight. It's dim and red, but now Gin can see the outlines of a large staircase not too far away, a door off to their left and a hallway continuing to the right.

"If I was an asshole and a traitor, resting on my shitty laurels, where would I hide a stolen knife?" Gin asks the silence.

"Have you checked the kitchen yet?" the silence responds.

The lights flicker on as Gin spins around. There hadn't been anything on the stairs before but now there are two, no, three people? How? "So you just want to get your deaths over and done with, do you?" Gin says, addressing the one they recognize. Valentine had stayed at the compound long enough that Gin couldn't forget them if they tried. Them or the sharp look behind their eyes, one that betrayed even the softest of smiles.

They know Rosa admired that look and all that Valentine had done to repay her was turn traitor and run, taking the ritual knife with them.

"I see Rosa keeps sending me gifts, even now," Val hums, taking step after step down the staircase. "And such nice ones, even though I thought I was clear that I was turning her down. Well, who am I to refuse, I suppose..."

The wails of Kai's transformation can be heard now that the wind is no longer an issue, the cracking of bone almost drowning out Valentine's words. He's now on all fours, just filling up the space with his second form, the wood creaking as roots burrow into the floor. The giant skull of a head meets Valentine halfway down the stairs, his jaws open, hungry and gaping, ready to tear and slash.

_"Do not... come any closer...."_

Mad mages have run, screaming, from this sight, but even though Gin can't see Val anymore, they can hear the put upon sigh they make. "Excuse me. Honestly, I much preferred the previous one, if you don't mind." Kai growls and his head pulls back, tossing like an alligator with a meal he would like to tear apart. Val is flung, hitting the floor with a harsh thunk and a crack, their arm a bloody mess just as something whips forward and curls around Kai's snout, pinning it closed.

"Kai, they're not dead yet!" Gin screams, already clambering onto Kai's back, a knife in their hands, making their way up the bony spine in order to cut the thing, the ribbon, holding him in place. The vines and roots are still in play though and Gin can see one strike straight and true, piercing through Valentine's stomach. Yes, yes, good, now there's only two left-

A gunshot rings, deafening, through the room and Kai is pushed back, almost throwing Gin off, their head scraping against the ceiling. They're only saved, or trapped, really, by a ribbon wrapping around their right wrist, then the other, painfully tugged forward towards the base of the stairs as Kai is pushed back further still, shaking the whole building as he moves, blocking out the lights with his mass, drywall falling like ash around all of them.

Gin groans, shoulder sore from where they've hit the stairs. At least Val's dead or at least dying soon, a traitor who deserved this end for what they did. They can see the pool of blood starting to form around them, their hands shakily pressed to the dark stain that spills across their shirt. They don't look smug anymore, that's for sure.

The ribbons around their wrists are tight, but not pulling too hard yet. There are others though, most of which are reaching back towards Kai, and those are definitely straining. Gin has to help him. "Val, quit wasting everyone's time," a voice snaps above Gin as they lever themselves onto their elbows.

"They're dead," Gin rasps, looking over again. Val's eyes are open, a bloody grin spreading over their face. In the dimmed light they can see something glint across their eye - the eye that _Rosa_ gave them - and the deep bite marks on their arm seal, as if they were never there. They sit up as Gin stares at them, eyes wild, teeth bared. "You're supposed to _die_."

"I'm sorry, love, but I think we'll have to wait on that one," Val says, standing just as Gin is yanked onto their feet by their wrists. "It would be rather rude for the host to just depart in the middle on a home invasion."

"Val, really?" the same voice says. "Can you cut the crap and get this over with?" It belongs to a young man currently scowling in Val's direction and Gin can see where the skin has been stripped from his wrists and even around his shoulders and neck where they can see them under the striped button up he's wearing. The white of the fat and red muscle is left exposed like a mannequin except Gin can see it moving, working, pulsing. The skin is still uncurling and straining as Gin can hear a crash behind them. He must be holding back Kai. The other is a woman, with only the muscle and bone of her wrist exposed. She's the one holding Gin.

"Evalyn, can you put the kid somewhere else?" There's someone else coming down the stairs now. "You're making it really hard not to make them bleed." Whoever it is is dressed mostly in black with their hair pulled into a tight ponytail at the base of their neck and is carrying a shotgun in their hands.

"Don't you hurt him-" Gin starts but is yanked sideways and they can feel something trying worm its way into their mind, something that tells them to calm down, just be quiet and calm, there's nothing to worry about. But they scream and kick and struggle until they can only feel the ribbons tightening on their wrists, threatening to break them both. "Let me go!" Gin demands, just as the blast from the shotgun deafens the room. They struggle to turn around, desperate now.

There's a dark puddle around Kai, viscous black liquid pouring out of the bony maw. His chest is blown wide open from the shotgun impact. He's so hurt, oh, if Gin could just get over there, if they could just do something. They tug at their wrists one more time and the woman holding them seems to lose her patience. The bones of Gin's left wrist snap and they scream.

This isn't the way it's supposed to go. This is bullshit, this is unfair, Rosa sent them here for a reason and it's to prove that these assholes were wrong. Gin won't leave here until they do that. They'll kill them all single handedly if they have to. And they have to, if they want to prove themselves. They are Rosa's favorite, they can do this. They are panting in pain, their eyes watering. The ribbon has let go of their hand and they cradle it to their chest, whimpering.

"Now, now. That's not how we treat guests." Gin can hear Val's grating voice right by them and they push out with their mind, wishing harm, wishing all the ills they can think of on them but if that does anything, Valentine doesn't seem to notice. It hurts, oh, it hurts... If the pain was just gone, they could concentrate, they could do something. And just like that, the pain is gone and Val is smiling down at them, the expression almost serene. "Better now?"

Gin uncurls, still out of breath and scowls at Val. "What the hell do you want?" they ask, tugging at their bound wrist again, trying to take a step forward. It doesn't let them and instead they reach out, dragging Val close by the front of their shirt instead. "You're a traitor, even if you give me back the knife, I'm not just going to forgive you for what you did!"

"I don't need your forgiveness. But I would like your cooperation," Val says, letting Gin tug at them. "Your friend is dying. If I fix him, will you cooperate?"

"I'll drown you," Gin insists, giving Val a shake. A deep, croaking moan rattles through the room, sending goosebumps up their arms and into their hair. They can see Kai, he's struggling to keep his shape. The roots and vines lie limp on the floor, the bony spurs are folding in on themselves. They can see his face, his human face, as the darkness retreats, as it spits him back out as he tries to save himself. Kai _is_ dying. "If you leave me alive, I will drown all of you in your beds as you sleep."

"He's only got a couple of minutes left, Gin. I think you should make up your mind."

It's quiet but for the silent arc of a shotgun muzzle through the air as the person holding it takes aim again. "I can put him out of his misery." It's said simply, as if it would be easy. It probably is.

Gin takes a deep breath like they're going to scream, their eyes brimming with tears they refuse to cry. Kai is their brother. The only living relative that they have ever gotten to meet. He takes care of them, in his own quiet way. But he's just Kai, in the grand scheme of things, as Rosa would say. Because, at this very moment, Gin needs to become Rosa for anything in their plan to succeed. They force their shoulders straight and their hands to stop trembling.

"Fine, do it, I don't care," Gin spits. "It'll be easier for me to escape alone, anyway."

Val snorts. "A wise decision," they hum, turning to look at him over their shoulder. "Too bad he's too useful to waste and I don't see why I can't have both of you."

And just like that, Kai's wounds are sealing back up, bones resetting or regrowing until he's just there, bound in flesh, lying in a pool of his own blood, enough of it that he should be dead three times over. His eyes open. He's looking at Gin.

They tear their eyes away, their hands falling to their sides, the ribbon holding their wrist gone. The person with the gun is gone. Hands curl around their shoulders, a gentle voice whispering in their ear. "Why don't you come with me, Gin?" And they do.


End file.
